MiniArt 1:35 T-44 Soviet Medium Tank - MiniArt

[Fran]

T-44

Soviet Medium Tank

MiniArt

 

1:35

Catalogue n.º 35193

Price tag: £ 39.99

 

659 plastic parts

15 clear parts

1 decal sheet for 10 variants
1 photo etch fret with 94 parts

Total: 768 parts.

 

 

MiniArt did make a good marketing move with the release of two videos on this model and truly it was not for less: one T-44, first released in injected plastic and then with full inside.

 

Everyone can google it and search for a full history of this almost WWII tank.

 

So a little resume in wikipédia:

 

The T-44 is a medium tank first produced near the end of the World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering improved ride and cross-country performance and much greater armor. Designed to be equipped with a powerful 85 mm main gun, by the time it was fully tested the T-34 had also moved to this weapon. Both tanks offered similar performance, so introducing the T-44 was not considered as important as increasing T-34 production. Fewer than 2,000 T-44s were built, compared to about 84,000 T-34s. Although the T-44 was available by the end of the war, they were not used in combat.

Attempts were made to improve the T-44's armament with a new 122 mm gun, but the turret proved very cramped and the rate of fire was poor, on the order of three rounds per minute. Another attempt with a 100 mm gun seemed more promising although a number of additional changes would be needed to make a truly effective design. Design work on a slightly enlarged version of the T-44 began during the war and a prototype was produced in 1945. This newer design entered production in 1947 as the T-54/55 series of medium tanks, the most-produced tank of all time

 

We were lucky enough to get a sample directly from MiniArt of the brand new T-44 in 1:35 with full interior.

I have an addiction when I open a new kit - see the instructions.

Now I decided to start this review by precisely by the instructions. I know it's not common, but at least it's different.

The instructions comes in in A4 brochure with features list on the front page. Before the constructions drawings, a short history, parts map which should be mandatory in all instructions), assembly process and finally profiles options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The color guide and info is made in collaboration with Ammo of Mig, so all references colors are from their paint range.

The first thing I noticed is, unlike instructions Gaz Bus Passenger, that over the instructions are given information which colors to use.

 

This help is very welcome and is a novelty in Miniart and very welcome and is a sign that actually Miniart is listening to their customers and Reviewers since the last review indicated that the low point of Gaz was precisely not have any indication colors for interior. Kudos MiniArt.

The instructions indications and drawings are quite clear and modeller friendly, with the parts attachmet points well indicated and with very good color indications.

 

As I said, now I have the habit of reading the more than 3 times instructions (addiction acquired with WnW) and a careful observation can be seen that the division driver is not included and the engine compartment may not be complete because only It presents the engine without further detail such as exhaust connections.

If we see 12 in steps 17 and 20 clearly see what is contemplated is the only engine and only provided the possibility of even hatches open upon engine.

And a careful observation of the points 17,21, 27, 32 and especially 35, we clearly see that there is not a single piece to the driver's compartment. As can check in step 35, upper hull portion which covers the driver has the hatch in one piece with the remaining part with no possibility of opening without an operation and scracthbuild.

The thought of MiniArt may be the following: if you do not provide the possibility of make the driver's compartment visible (for having the hatch closed without possibility of opening) is not necessary to do the driver's compartment.

It was indeed a MiniArt option but honestly with so much detail in the fighting compartment and the tower, the driver compartment would be a nice touch and a must I think to full interior model kit.

 

As for the Gaz, the schemes options are made by Ammo of Mig, and give us 10 options with several profiles and full color indications.

8 are from Soviet Army and two are beute-panzers 1946 with two what if options.

 

1.   T-44 from unidentified units of the Red Army in the summer of 1945;

2.   T-44 from unidentified units of the Red Army 1945-1947;

3.   T-44 from unidentified units of the Red Army 1947-1955;

4.   T-44 from unidentified units of the 8^th Mechanized Army. Operation “Whirlwind”, Budapest, Hungary, 4-11, November 1956.

5.   T-44 from unidentified units of the 8^th Mechanized Army. Operation “Whirlwind”, Budapest, Hungary, 4-11, November 1956.

6.   T-44 presumably Belarussian Military District, 50^th years;

7.   T-44 from unidentified units of the Red Army in the summer of 1945;

8.   T-44  from the 29^th Armored Division of the 5^th Guards Mechanized Army, Slonin, Belarus, 1946-1947;

9.   Captured T-44 battle group “Fries”, 38^th Panzer Corps of the Wehrmacht, Kurland in January 1946;

10.                Captured T-44 with its own name “Lilofee”, 101th Jaeger-Division of the Wehrmacht, Austria, spring-summer, 1946;

 

 

 

 

 

I do have a soft spot for Luft 46 and Paper Panzer 1946, so I will with no doubt to one of those options.

To these options, a small decal sheet is provide with good colour registration and thin film carrier that will provide a very good adaption to the surface. I never found out which is MiniArt manufacture so I wonder if it is a MiniArt fabrication and if it is is a quite good one.  

 

 

 

The only PE fret is packed between two cardboard sheets and contains 94 parts. Of course, here you will find some typical elements like engine meshes as well as some parts for interior.

 

 

 

Now, cracking the plastic.

 

All the plastic come in a one plastic bag, as usual by MiniArt. However, this time, some others more fragile parts came inside another plastic bag.

 

 

 A nice addition packing care by MiniArt.

 

The plastic does have some nice engraved detail and no flash at all.

The plastic is the new and improved one, so is a friendly modeller use.

 

There`s a lot of sprue… several are simply equal and could be all in one and its looks like that they were all in one like the F1 that is quite a small sprue… They all are cut in one en and it looks that they were moulded in a single sprue and them cut in each one.

 

 

 

With that politicy, there`re a lot of sprues in this kit, 65 frets in total.

 

I really like the detail on the plastic and the best example of that is the cast iron textured surface sides and bottom.

 

The hull comes in separate panels, which require careful alignment and dryfit to get it done. I confess that I prefer the single moulded hull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another point that I always look is the barrel. In this case I`m quite happy with the box example. A single moulded piece with a hollow end and not a two slice pieces.

 

 

Yup, someone could said: a metal barrel would be nice. Yes but I think we really can not complain with the barrel part give from the box.

 

This tank does have quite a few transparent parts for a tank! 15 transparent parts included and in excellent quality and real transparent.

 

 

The tracks have great engraved details and are made to be workable along with torsion workable bars.

 

 

There`s a round of pics of the plastic of the fantastic kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

        

This kit has everything to be a great success MiniArt and is well deserved because it can be an excellent replica out of the box.

The injection moulding is top noch and the quality of the plastic shows MiniARt care with quality and detail.

I think this will be and should always be the manufacturers of the way: get a good direct replica box.

And in this case the MiniArt actually offers that to the modeler.

Certainly not have all the inside detail but the detail missing with the current design of the upper parts is not visible and therefore we can always say that with the upper hull kit designs, the missing interior detail was effectively useless for invisible.

The options given are very interesting and mostly beute-panzer 1946.

The kit is very well done and shows clear improvements regarding the latest releases specialty in the colour guides. Yes, is space left for AM for the interior and the metal barrel but the kit remains a great model straight from the box.

 

Very Highly Recommend

 

My truly Thanks to Miniart for the review sample.

 

Fran

[Martinnfb]

and I was so close....

 

[Martinnfb]

The one restored T-44, is now in Kubinka